


The Fabric of Life

by CityofEmeralds



Series: Such Pretty Forks in the Road [2]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Athena Grant and Bobby Nash are Evan "Buck" Buckley's Parents, Athena Grant and Bobby Nash are Maddie Buckley's Parents, F/M, Family Feels, Foster Care, Homemade pizza, Kid Fic, Kid!Buck, Kid!Maddie, Movie Night, The Princess Bride References, Too many cookies, grant-nash family, nervous baking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26126758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityofEmeralds/pseuds/CityofEmeralds
Summary: The Grant-Nash family decide to foster Maddie and Buck after the death of their mother.
Relationships: Athena Grant/Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Athena Grant, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Harry Grant & Athena Grant, Harry Grant & Bobby Nash, Harry Grant & May Grant, Maddie Buckley & Athena Grant, Maddie Buckley & Bobby Nash, May Grant & Athena Grant, May Grant & Bobby Nash
Series: Such Pretty Forks in the Road [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1895476
Comments: 6
Kudos: 131
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	The Fabric of Life

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place approximately one month after Such Pretty Forks in the Road. Highly suggest that you read that fic first before this one. Apologies in advance for slightly unrealistic depictions of foster care. 
> 
> In this universe, the ages of the children have been changed — Maddie (16), May (15), Harry (9), Buck (5).

It was a warm spring afternoon in Los Angeles. The sun filtered through the large windows that dawned the exterior of the Grant-Nash household. The whole home seemed to be glowing as the rays cascaded off of the wood tones. 

The calming aesthetic did nothing to soothe Bobby’s anxiety as he flitted around the house like a butterfly, constantly checking and rechecking every single detail. It needed to be perfect for the arrival of Maddie and Buck. 

...

The captain met the siblings for the first time while responding to a medical emergency. Maddie had called for help after finding her mother lying unconscious on the kitchen floor, experiencing an apparent overdose. Although the firefighters did everything that they could to save Mrs. Buckley, they were too late. 

A few days later, Bobby and Athena decided to contact Marisol, wanting to know how the children were coping with their new living arrangements. The social worker was kind enough to describe their placements, making sure to speak in generalities, in order to conceal any confidential information. 

They were told that the siblings had been separated almost as soon as they entered the system. Unsurprisingly, there weren’t many families willing to foster a sixteen year old _and_ a young boy with “unwanted behaviour.” Maddie had been placed in a group home for teenage girls, while Buck had been living with a family, consisting of a mother, father and one other foster child. 

During their conversation, Marisol sounded incredibly disheartened when explaining how difficult it would be to keep them together permanently. So, when the couple called back a week later, offering to care for both siblings, she seemed ecstatic. 

It wasn’t a hard decision. Bobby was already attached to the children, having formed particularly strong bonds with them during their initial interaction. Athena needed more convincing but she knew how important it was to her husband. She was also comforted by the fact that they had taken in foster kids before and had enough experience to handle anything that they might encounter. 

Before making anything official, Harry and May needed to be consulted as well. Predictably, Harry was excited to have more children around the house. He loved the opportunity to play with others and inevitably, get into trouble. Mischief _was_ his middle name, after all. 

May was a little more apprehensive, much like her mother. She was worried about how their family dynamics would change with two children entering their household because in the past, they had only fostered one kid at a time. The teenager also wondered how they would be able to support the Buckleys while maintaining their busy schedules. Bobby and Athena took her concerns seriously and after a lot of planning, negotiating and organizing, she was adequately reassured. 

Even with an expedited process, it still took almost a month for the Grant-Nash family to gain legal custody of the siblings but finally, the day had arrived for Maddie and Buck to move in. 

…

Bobby glanced at the clock and was surprised to find that only two minutes had passed since he had last checked. Marisol was supposed to be arriving with the Buckleys any minute now. 

In the distance, he could hear Athena puttering around the house, making some final changes to the two guest bedrooms that had been reconfigured into welcoming spaces for a kindergartener and a teenager. 

He closed his eyes, bowed his head and said a quick prayer, hoping that everything would go smoothly. They really needed God on their side today. 

After a brief moment of silence, he pulled out his phone and texted Michael. The kids had stayed overnight at the condo and were due to be dropped off at the Grant-Nash household within the next hour or so. The plan was to get the Buckleys settled before having May and Harry come over. They didn’t want to overwhelm the siblings too much. 

His phone vibrated, alerting him to his friend’s response. Michael promised to have the kids back at the agreed upon time and gently encouraged Bobby to calm down, assuring him that everything would be okay. 

The captain sighed, running a hand through his hair, trying to follow Michael’s advice. Walking into the kitchen, he opened the oven door and checked on the third batch of cookies he had made in just under an hour. Bobby had always been a nervous baker but looking around at the cornucopia of food that littered the counter, he realized that he might have gone overboard. 

Bobby’s thoughts about baked goods came to a sudden halt as soon as he heard the doorbell ring. Quickly extracting the cookies from the oven, he placed them on a cooling rack and then headed towards the front door. 

He was always anxious when new foster children arrived but for some reason this felt different. 

Just as Bobby was about to reach the landing, he felt a hand brush up against his own. Turning around, he saw his wife standing behind him. He intertwined his fingers with hers, squeezing tightly. Running his thumb over the back of her hand, he gazed into her eyes. 

“You ready?” She asked, warmly. She seemed fairly calm given the circumstances, for which Bobby was eternally grateful. 

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he said, beckoning her up the stairs, “C’mon, let’s go meet our kids.” 

Bobby opened the door and came face to face with the Buckleys. Maddie was standing on the front porch with Buck arranged comfortably in her arms. The sight of the siblings took Bobby’s breath away as he was immediately transported back to the day that they had met. Buck’s horrific shriek and Maddie’s pained expression were forever ingrained into his mind. He was so distracted by his own thoughts that he didn’t realize there were two large garbage bags lying beside them. 

From his experience, foster children would often arrive at their house with bags that contained the remnants of their personal belongings. They were only allowed to bring the bare necessities and sometimes—not even that. Bobby remembered fostering a child named Alex who arrived with seven pairs of pants. It was as if someone had dumped the clothes from a single drawer into a bag and handed it to the boy. 

He didn’t have time to dwell on that thought because Athena was already in the process of greeting their guests and ushering them into the living room. 

When everyone was settled, Bobby observed the room. Maddie and Buck were positioned on an armchair that was tucked into the corner. It was the furthest, socially acceptable, distance that they could be from the group. The two garbage bags were haphazardly arranged at their feet, forming a small barricade. Nearby, Marisol sat in a folding chair, which had been brought into the living room specifically for this meeting, while Bobby took his place on the couch beside Athena.

Silence hung in the air for a moment, before Marisol decided to break the ice, “Thank you so much for agreeing to this.”

“It’s no problem,” Athena responded, “We’re happy to have Maddie and Buck stay with us.” 

Bobby glanced towards the siblings with a smile on his face. Maddie returned his smile, bashfully, while Buck looked away. 

“Now, I sent you some forms for you to look over and sign, do you have them with you?” 

“Yes, of course. Just give me one moment,” Athena said, standing up and maneuvering towards the dining room. True to her word, a few seconds later, she returned with a small stack of papers in her hand. 

In Bobby’s opinion, there was always an ungodly amount of paperwork that accompanied fostering children through DCFS. 

Marisol flipped through the pages before redirecting her attention towards Bobby and Athena, “Everything looks in order." 

“Great,” Bobby replied. “Why don’t we tell you a little about our family and then we can give you the grand tour."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Maddie, in particular, looked interested in what he had to say. 

“Well, Athena and I have been married for about three years. Since then, we’ve been foster parents to three children but you’re the first pair of siblings that we’ve welcomed into our family.” Bobby gazed towards his wife, silently asking if there was anything else she’d like to add. 

Athena must have picked up on Bobby's cue because she continued the conversation without missing a beat, "We’ve got two kids, May and Harry. They usually split their time between here and at their dad’s house. That’s where they are right now. Michael—their dad—should be dropping them off soon. I’m not sure if you’ll meet him today but I’m sure you’ll get the chance eventually."

The children were silent, their attention fixed on Athena. 

“Look," she said, her voice cracking with emotion, "I can't even imagine what you've gone through over the past few weeks but now that you’re here, I hope that we can provide a safe place for you to live. If there’s anything we can do for you, all you need to do is ask. Understood?” 

Buck’s brow furrowed in confusion. It was as if he was struggling to find the correct answer to Athena’s question. He glanced towards his sister, gauging her reaction. Buck waited until he saw Maddie nod her head before quickly copying her movements. 

The conversation continued until Marisol announced that she had to leave. While Athena showed the kids where they’d be staying, Bobby walked the social worker to the door, wishing her all the best. 

And with that, Maddie and Evan Buckley had officially moved into the Grant-Nash household.

...

The doorbell rang, echoing loudly through the house. When Bobby opened the door, he found his stepchildren standing on the porch in the exact same place where Maddie and Buck had been an hour ago. He couldn’t help but see similarities between the sets of siblings. 

May quickly greeted Bobby with a hug and disappeared down the hallway and into her room. Meanwhile, Harry hovered near the kitchen, eyeing the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that were arranged on a platter. 

Bobby watched his stepson reach towards the counter.

“Only one cookie, Harry.”

“Oh, c’mon!” The boy exclaimed. “You made, like, a thousand.”

“Harry…” Bobby warned, sternly. “You can have another cookie but you’ve got to wait until after dinner. You know how your mother feels about spoiling your appetite.”

Harry gazed up at his stepdad with sad puppy dog eyes, begging for more food. “But Bobby,” he whined, “I’m a growing boy! Feel these muscles.” He gestured towards his arms and squeezed his biceps, “I need more food to grow big and strong. You said so yourself, remember?”

Bobby had to hand it to the kid, he sure was clever. 

“Do you know what would make you grow even faster?” Bobby paused for dramatic effect, “Salad! Which is why you should be glad that’s what we’re eating tonight.”

The groan that emanated from Harry’s mouth made the captain laugh. Two could play at this game. 

“You’ll be happy to know that in addition to salad, we’re also having pizza. So, you won’t just have to eat leafy greens, even though I know how much you like them.”

The child paused for a moment, calculating his response, before finally admitting defeat, “Okay, fine. But I get two after dinner.” He shoved the entire cookie in his mouth and then walked away. 

The firefighter couldn’t help but smile at his stepson’s antics. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small figure standing in the dining room. Bobby wondered how long Buck had been watching the cookie-related exchange. 

Deciding this would be a good opportunity to talk to the child, Bobby asked, “Would you like a cookie too? I made them myself.” 

Buck looked skeptical but decided to move towards Bobby, despite any trepidation he might be feeling. 

“What’re they?” the kindergartener mumbled, attempting to peer over the counter. 

Bobby was stunned. This was the first time that he had heard the boy’s voice. It sounded exactly like he thought it would: soft and sweet.

He tried to disguise his surprise by focusing on the question at hand, “They’re chocolate chip cookies. I thought I would go with a classic. So, what do you think, Buck? Would you like a cookie before dinner?” 

Buck nodded his head, licking his lips in anticipation. 

The fire captain smiled, “Alright, you get to choose which one you’d like.”

The child returned the smile before rising onto his tip-toes, extending his arm above his head and reaching for a cookie. Unfortunately, he was just a little bit too short. He struggled for a moment, straining his whole body before ultimately admitting defeat. Buck huffed, as a dejected look appeared on his face. 

Just as Bobby was about to intervene, Buck’s eyes lit up once again. The kindergartener turned towards Bobby and raised both arms into the air, clenching and unclenching his fists, silently requesting to be picked up. 

Bobby complied, reaching underneath the boy’s armpits and lifting him onto his hip. From this vantage point, Buck was easily able to reach down and snag a cookie. As he took a bite, a small moan escaped from his mouth. Leaning against Bobby’s chest, he continued to munch on the snack. 

“How is it?” Bobby asked, smiling down at the child. 

Buck hummed, smacking his chocolate covered lips with delight. 

“It’s that good, huh?” The captain ran a finger gently over Buck’s chubby cheek, making the child giggle. “Well, I’m glad that these cookies have officially been given the Buckley Stamp of Approval.”

Bobby bopped the boy up and down, replicating the same gentle motion that seemed to put him at ease when being held by his sister.

It only took a few minutes for Buck to polish off his snack before he started to wiggle, indicating that he’d like to be let down. 

Bobby placed the child on the floor, handed him a wet paper towel and encouraged him to wipe the chocolate residue off of his face. Buck followed the instructions, begrudgingly, and then quickly scurried out of the room without another word. 

The fire captain breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the interaction had gone smoothly. Glancing towards the clock, he realized that it was later than he initially thought. He needed to start preparing dinner. 

He began the process by removing five heads of romaine lettuce from the fridge, breaking the leaves apart, rinsing them with water and placing them into a bowl. Bobby added some Caesar salad dressing, croutons and bacon, tossing the mixture until it was evenly coated. 

Setting the salad aside for a moment, he went over to the cupboard and searched for some pizza crust that he had bought earlier in the week. Normally, Bobby would have made dough from scratch but there wasn’t time for that today. Plus, he was so anxious about the arrival of Maddie and Buck that he would have definitely screwed it up. 

Just then, he heard someone wander into the dining room. Glancing upwards, he was surprised to see Maddie hovering a few feet away. 

“Hey, Maddie. What have you been up to?” 

The teenager shrugged, “I was talking to May and Harry a few minutes ago; they seem really nice.”

“That's great. I'm glad you had the chance to introduce yourself. They've been really excited for you to arrive,” Bobby said. He paused for a moment before shifting the conversation towards a different topic. “Hey, Maddie, I meant to ask, what do you think about having pizza for dinner and watching a movie?”

Maddie tilted her head to the side, contemplating Bobby’s suggestion, “Yeah, sounds good.”

The fire captain smiled, “Excellent! That’s settled then.”

As soon as Bobby finished speaking, the oven beeped, indicating that the appliance had finished pre-heating. 

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get these pizzas started or else we won’t be eating until nine,” Bobby said to Maddie, moving towards the fridge. He proceeded to remove peppers, onions, mushrooms, cheese and pepperoni, placing them on the cutting board. 

Meanwhile, Maddie lurked behind him, still standing in the kitchen, “Ummm...do you need any help with dinner?” 

Bobby considered his response carefully, “Well, I don’t want you to feel obligated but if you really want to help, it would be great if you could dice some vegetables.”

She nodded, accepting the task. The pair worked in tandem, diligently preparing the pizza toppings. 

After a few minutes, Maddie interrupted the comfortable silence that had settled over the room, “Hey, did Buck end up coming in here?”

Bobby was surprised, unsure of why she was asking that question, “Yeah, he came in about fifteen minutes ago and grabbed a cookie.”

“Good,” she nodded her head, clearly satisfied with that response. Maddie paused for a moment and turned towards Bobby, a concerned look falling over her face. “B-Buck,” she stuttered. Taking a deep breath, she tried again, “Buck’s had a really difficult time over the past month. I don’t know the specifics—because we were separated—but I know it was bad. Ever since Marisol picked us up this morning, Buck hasn’t left my side. It’s like, he’s afraid that if I leave the room, I’ll suddenly disappear.” Maddie resumed chopping, albeit with a shaky hand, “That’s why I sent him in here. I needed some space to unpack and he needed to interact with somebody other than me. The last thing that I want is for Buck to have a panic attack when we have to be in different places.” 

Bobby slowed his movements while listening to Maddie’s haunting words. 

It was evident that life circumstances had forced her to grow up faster than an average sixteen year old. It wasn’t fair, not in the slightest. But Bobby realized that he had no control over events that happened in the past. He could only work to provide a safe, stable and nurturing environment for Maddie and Buck now.

The last sentence that Maddie uttered caught his attention. 

“Has Buck had panic attacks before?” 

The teen paused again, as if trying to determine how much information she should share. 

“Look,” Maddie said, bluntly. “I don't know how much Marisol told you but our life wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows before our mom died. I know he’s only five but Buck has lived through a lot of shi—stuff,” catching herself before she swore. “He’s still learning how to process things.”

Bobby ignored the fact that Maddie almost cursed. If the same words had been said by May or Harry, he might have chastised their use of language but this was neither the time nor place. He was willing to give Maddie more leeway, especially when she was in a vulnerable position. 

The captain gazed at his foster daughter and immediately realized that Maddie’s entire demeanour had changed over the course of their conversation. She was standing with her arms crossed in front of her body, shoulders drawn towards her ears. Her feet were pointed away from the captain, as if she were ready to bolt from the kitchen. 

He had really stuck his foot in his mouth this time. 

“I didn’t mean to imply that Buck’s mental health was a problem,” Bobby tried to reassure the teenager, “I only asked because the more we know about you and Buck, the better we can support you.”

Maddie’s furrowed brow indicated that she was skeptical, but she nodded, regardless of her true feelings.

The pair went back to preparing the pizza toppings in silence. Bobby glanced towards Maddie every once in a while, making sure she didn’t require assistance. Other than a slight tremor in her right hand, she seemed fine, so Bobby left her alone. 

It only took a few minutes before they had finished chopping the vegetables, slicing the pepperoni and grating the cheese. Working efficiently, Maddie assembled a pizza for herself and Buck, knowing exactly what toppings they would both like. Meanwhile, Bobby did the exact same for Athena, May, Harry and himself. 

Once all of the pizzas were finished, Bobby slid them into the oven to bake. 

Just then, Athena strolled into the kitchen, greeting Maddie warmly before wrapping her hands around Bobby’s waist, leaning in for a kiss. 

In his peripheral vision, he saw Maddie leave the kitchen, posthaste. 

“How did everything go? You two seemed quiet when I came in.”

Bobby was embarrassed to answer, knowing that he had made Maddie feel uncomfortable. He glanced towards the ground, unable to look at his wife. Athena must have noticed this unusual behaviour because she immediately placed her hand under Bobby’s chin and encouraged him to lift his head. The fire captain complied, willingly. 

He proceeded to summarize what had happened. Athena listened intently, staying silent until Bobby had finished speaking. 

“You did good, Bobby.”

The captain sighed, “It doesn't feel like I did a good job.”

“You got Buck to communicate what he wanted and you encouraged Maddie to share personal information about their past. I’d say that’s pretty good for their first day here. Could things have gone better towards the end of your conversation? Sure. But I think it's important to remember that Maddie didn't feel like she need to leave. She continued to stand beside you and help make dinner for our family,” she paused, taking Bobby’s face in-between her hands. “That’s enough, Bobby. That’s enough.”

Bobby leaned into his wife’s body, wrapping his arms around her small frame. He gazed lovingly into her eyes and smiled softly. 

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” 

After lingering for far too long, caught up in their love for one another, the pair eventually broke apart. 

Before long, the timer on the oven chimed, indicating that the food was finished cooking. Bobby removed the pizzas from the oven and placed them on a rack to cool. 

“Kids, time for dinner!” The captain hollered. 

May, Harry, Maddie and Buck streamed into the room. Each child picked up their individualized pizza and a drink before heading off towards the living room. Athena followed suit. 

Bobby took a moment to clear his head, grounding himself in the present. He proceeded to remove the salad bowl from the fridge, grab his own food and join his family. 

“Have we decided on a movie?” Athena asked, settling down on the couch.

Bobby walked around the room, distributing a serving of salad to each child. He knew that the children would somehow neglect to help themselves if given the choice. 

“Well, Harry wanted to watch Fast and Furious: Even Faster and Furious-er, but I vetoed it,” May huffed. 

Harry glared, clearly annoyed by his sister’s words, “That’s not even the right name!” 

“It might as well be! Besides, who wants to watch a movie about street racing starring Paul Walker and Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy.”

“Don’t you be insulting Paul Walker and Vin Diesel like that. I can’t bel—” 

“Harry and May, that’s enough,”Athena stated, firmly. She was never one to mince words. The children immediately stopped talking but did continue to glare at one another. Athena directed her attention towards Maddie, “Maddie, do you have any suggestions?”

“The Princess Bride? It’s one of my favourites.” Maddie responded, softly. 

“I think that’s a good choice,” Athena praised, taking a bite of her pizza. When she was finished chewing she continued, “I’m pretty sure it’s on Disney+.”

“Oh, I love The Princess Bride!” May exclaimed. “I remember watching that movie a few years ago.” 

Harry seemed unsure, “It sounds boring.” 

Bobby made eye contact with Athena, silently communicating with one another. They usually gave the children enough time to resolve their own conflicts but they wanted to keep the drama to a minimum tonight. Just as Bobby was about to intervene, Buck decided to voice his own opinion. 

“I like it.” 

Harry studied the younger boy for a moment, before conceding, “Okay, fine. If you like it, I’ll try watching it.”

“You might enjoy the movie more than you think,” Bobby said, finally chiming in. “There are sword fights, Rodents of Unusual Size and twoo wuv.” His voice slipped into Billy Crystal’s accent ever so slightly. 

“Yeah, there’s lots of action to keep you satisfied,” Maddie added on. 

And with that, The Princess Bride was the agreed upon film, obtaining unanimous support, which was fairly rare for the Grant-Nash household. 

Athena opened the streaming platform and searched through the numerous options before selecting the film. Snuggling into Bobby’s side, she made herself comfortable. 

Bobby draped his arm around his wife’s shoulders, pulling her close. He glanced around at his family and thanked God for every single individual in that living room.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> Thank you for such a warm response on my last fic, Such Pretty Forks in the Road. I'm excited to continue writing stories that take place in this universe. If you have any ideas that you'd like to see, let me know! 
> 
> ~CityofEmeralds


End file.
